 OBAMA'S IRAQ MESSAGE: STABILITY IS ULTIMATELY IN YOUR HANDS
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July 22, 2008
CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday he was pleased with the reduction of violence in Iraq since the deployment of more U.S. troops, but added it was a result of several factors, not just the "surge." "We don't know what would have happened if the plan that I preferred in January 2007 -- to put more pressure on the Iraqis to arrive at a political reconciliation, to begin a phased withdrawal -- what would have happened had we pursued that strategy," Obama said after landing in Amman, Jordan. "I am pleased that as a consequence of great effort by our troops -- but also as a consequence of a shift in allegiances among the Sunni tribal leaders as well as the decision of the Sadr militias to stand down -- that we've seen a quelling of violence," he said. But, Obama said, a functioning Iraq ultimately will depend on the capacity of the Iraqi people to unify themselves, get beyond sectarian divisions and set up a government that works for the people. "There is security progress. Now we need a political solution," he said. Obama's stop in Jordan is the latest on his trip through the Middle East. So far, Obama also has been through Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. The senator from Illinois will visit Israel before embarking on the European leg of his trip, which will take him through Germany, France and the United Kingdom. "If we responsibly end the war in Iraq we can strengthen our military, step up our efforts to finish the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and succeed in leaving Iraq to a sovereign government that can take responsibility for its own future," he said. Obama underscored the need to redeploy combat troops from Iraq and shift resources to Afghanistan. "That is where the 9/11 attacks were planned, and today in Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan, al Qaeda and the Taliban are mounting a growing offensive against the security of the Afghan people and, increasingly the Pakistani people, while plotting new attacks against the United States." Obama said he is pleased about "a growing consensus back home that we need more resources in Afghanistan." While in Amman, Obama will meet with King Abdullah and other Jordanian officials. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/22/obama.mideast/index.html Author: 1962verbodivino Keywords: Baraq Obama Middle East Iraq Iran Israel Jordan Kuwait Afghanistan Maliki Bush McCain McBush president Added: July 22, 2008
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